Hola amigos!
This blog isn't too much about my life here, more about the people I have experienced since I have been here. I love Spaniards, they are beautiful nice people BUT they need to learn to put on some deodorant. You will be casually walking down the street scoping out some new shoes and you will walk into this horrible cloud of smell. It always catches you by surprise to because you are outside with all the fresh air and BOOM you hit the deck because someone smells so bad you have passed out. One time I was going to class with my roomate Bailey, we were headed up the stairs and this guy walked past us and it took like five seconds to hit us but once it did I had to use the wall to support myself it smelled so bad. I do not get it people! It is part of the daily routine, wash your face, brush your teeth, PUT DEODORANT ON. Not everyone here is smelly, but you can definitely tell the people who are. The worst case is our substitute teacher for our amazing teacher, Jose Javier, because she literally almost killed us in class the other day. We were in a class with no windows and she walked in and shut the door. She smelled so bad we could barely breathe for the two hour class. It was incredible that someone could smell so bad it filled up the entire room. She was kind of a hippie and it was rumored that she lived in a cave. But she told us she's not "gitana" (a gypsy). Because of this smelly epidemic here, I make it a point to apply and re-apply deodorant throughout the day.
Another little pet peeve about the people here, they really love to walk at an excruciatingly slow pace. I mean so slow it probably takes them triple the amount of time it would take me to get there. So slow, I can shuffle my feet faster and pass them. I understand it is the lifestyle and that's just how people enjoy walking but coming from Chicago, that does not fly with me. I never get passed when I am walking down the street because I walk like I am on a mission and nothing will stop me. These people walk like they are on some thirty mile pilgrimage and they have to reserve their strength. I do not think I will ever get over the pace at which a Spaniard walks. Or how they love to stop in the middle of the sidewalk. I do not understand this because only about four people can fit across on the sidewalk so when your group of ten people is just chilling there it makes it difficult to get by. But it is just one of those things you adapt to and you learn how to get around them.
Now time for the positives!
People here are much nicer than they are in the States. At first it may not seem like it because they are more direct which may come off as a little rude. Like when you go to the post office and you go up to the counter they don't smile and ask you about your day they just say "dime" which is totally normal and acceptable. I like it better now because I feel like what we do in the States is superficial, I would know being a cashier and all. But overall they are much nicer and friendlier. For example when I was in H&M the other day I dropped a few things when I was trying to give them back to the woman working in the dressing room. I kept apologizing and she just smiled at me and said "no pasa nada", which is kind of like don't worry about it. They just seem much more sincere here. Or how when people get in an elevator together you greet each other and when you exit you say "hasta luego" which means see you later. They also do this often when you are leaving a store. It just feels more homey and comfortable, like you are being taken care of. I think that is one of the benefits to studying in a smaller town like Granada rather than somewhere like Barcelona or Madrid.
My other favorite part about the culture/people here is the importance they place on time with family. Every day (at least in Granada) they go home at 2p.m to eat lunch with their family. They have 2-3 uninterrupted hours a day to relax and spend time with their family. And this is quality time because you are not thinking about what you have to do after siesta or trying to do things during siesta. You are simply enjoying time with your family. I wish we had this custom in the States. I feel like our culture has become some monster that only cares about working and making more money and taking care of your social image rather than spending quality time with your family. I just feel like in the States we make it seem difficult to get together once a week to have dinner with your family but here they do it everyday. It is not only during siesta too. After work and school at night time you see people out with their kids, people walking with their parents, couples holding hands. It is truly endearing to watch so much love pass through the streets. When is the last time you went on a walk with your parents? We see it here all the time. I really have fallen in love with the concept of family time being an integral part of the day. I hope that when I return to the States I can rub off on people and get this idea established at least in my family.
Well that is all for now, stay tuned to see what happens when I go off to Rome this weekend : )
Besos, Dani
p.s give someone you care about a hug today or make an effort to spend time with your family this week
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